#48 CAMERA Book Review: Mik Critchlow - Hirst

A look through the latest book Hirst by photographer Mik Critchlow.

Mik Critchlow's Hirst was published in 2018 by Buddleia in collaboration with Bait, the publishing imprint of Museums Northumberland. The book documents Hirst, a district of Ashington in Northumberland that developed around one of Britain's largest coal mining communities. Photographed over several decades, the work records the streets, homes, shops and people of the neighbourhood as it adjusted to the closure of the coal industry and the wider economic changes that transformed the North East of England. Born and raised in Ashington, Critchlow photographed the community from within, producing an intimate record shaped by long term relationships and a deep understanding of the place and its history.

Rather than concentrating solely on industrial decline, Hirst explores the continuity of everyday life within the community. Critchlow photographed family gatherings, children at play, local celebrations, social clubs and the changing urban landscape, demonstrating how identity and collective memory endured despite profound economic change. Working in a direct observational style, he created photographs that avoid nostalgia while acknowledging the significance of Hirst as both a physical place and a close knit community. Hirst forms an important part of Critchlow's wider documentation of Ashington, preserving a detailed visual record of one of Britain's best known mining settlements during a period of lasting social transformation.

My sincere apologies for the odd sniff in the recording of this video. I had a head cold and was unable to get rid of all the sniffs from the final edit.

Camera is on
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